Rugby: Georgia vs Russia Preview

This weekend sees Georgia play Russia in the deciding match of the 2008-2010 European Nations Cup Season. Russia have been playing second fiddle to Georgia all season, but Romania’s shock defeat of Georgia last week means that Russia and Georgia are now level on points at the top of the table, and all is to play for.

To add a little more pressure to this match between the two massive rivals (if more was needed between two countries that fought a war only eighteen months ago), the outcome of the match will decide who qualifies in first place for next year’s Rugby World Cup Finals in New Zealand. Both teams have already qualified, but the team who finishes first in the European Nations Cup will find themselves in the tougher World Cup group – which creates an oddly perverse incentive for each team to throw the game.

This weekend also sees a vital matchup between Romania and Portugal – the winner of which is likely to take the third and final World Cup Qualifying spot.

As ever, we’ll have the results for you here on Siberian Light next week.